BPS Blog

Wednesday January 25, 2012 ~ Today is National Irish Coffee Day

By Tia Peck

You don’t need an excuse to drink coffee but sometimes it helps especially if you want to add a little whiskey. 

 Happy National Irish Coffee Day!!

What better way to shake off the January chill than a hot cup of Joe with a shot of whiskey and a layer of cream on top?

Irish coffee (Irish: Caifé Gaelach) is a cocktail consisting of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar, and topped with thick cream.  Irish coffee has many variations but for the most basic and extremely delicious try this recipe:

In a 12oz glass add 1 ½ oz. of Irish Whiskey

1 tsp. of Brown Sugar

9 oz. of hot Coffee and stir until sugar is dissolved

Pour 1 oz. of heavy whipping cream over top and enjoy !

Wednesday January 18, 2012 ~ Coffee Fest New York

By Tia Peck

Coffee Fest New York 2012 is less than 2 months away and here at Barista Pro Shop we are getting pretty excited for the event. Not only will you have the opportunity to see over 150 exhibition booths featuring the newest products related to the specialty coffee and tea industries, but you will also get a chance to talk with factory reps and company executives. To top it all off BPS will also be there exhibiting and you don’t want to miss out on what we have in store. I will give you a few hints: awesome giveaways, a raffle with an amazing grand prize, and a chance to see BPS’s finest dressed to impress in what can only be called as “ship-tastic” uniforms.

So don’t miss out and come see us at Coffee Fest New York 2012 on March 9th -11th. We will be exhibiting at booth number 343.

For more information about Coffee Fest go to http://coffeefest.com/Default.aspx

For information on getting a discounted pass please contact us.

Thursday January 12, 2012 ~ Happy Hot Tea Month!

By Kari Guddeck

Sipping on my afternoon cup of two leaves and a bud Assam (my current fave), I spy a blurb about January being National Hot Tea Month. I find the plethora of national something or other days/months kind of silly and amusing, but more often than not they’ll inspire a little blog entry, a facebook post, or a tweet. If nothing else, they serve as a comical reminder about the little things that might add a little smile or chuckle to your day.

That being said, I’ve been on a tea kick lately. This is generally a yearly occurrence, and it inevitably happens around this time. So, perhaps National Hot Tea month is perfect for January (at least for me). Besides the obvious cozy and warming nature of a good cup of tea, tea also has all of those good-for-your-health benefits. I googled National Hot Tea month and one of the first things I read was “Recent research findings have reported that drinking black tea may improve the body’s defenses and quicken the response to bacteria and viruses”. Score one for celebrating hot tea in the middle of cold and flu season! I think I’ll have a second.

Other purported health benefits include:

- Antibiotic Effects

- Anti-Cancer Properties

- Increases Metabolic Rate

- Possible Anti-Diabetes Effect

- Bad Breath Fighter

- Antidepressant Properties

- Protects Against Cardiovascular Disease

Well, I bet you’re sold on National Hot Tea month now! 

Cheerio!

Tuesday January 10, 2012 ~ Got to try Sweetbird !!

By Tia Peck

In the winter of 2010 BPS added a great new product to our catalog. It not only has trendy-cool lil’ bird inspired marketing materials, but Sweetbird products are: all natural, GMO free, Vegetarian Society Approved, Viva Vegan certified, fair traded, and gluten free.   

   Sweetbird is not only a healthy choice to flavor your coffee but also a delicious one. Because Sweetbird has a tremendous love for flavors, they have crafted a range of wonderful tasting natural flavored Syrups, Tea Concentrates, and Blended Smoothies.

To give a great twist to a classic vanilla latte and try a Vienna:

In 16oz Glass add 1 ½ oz. of Sweetbird French Vanilla syrup

2 shots of espresso

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon powder

 Pour 12oz. of steamed milk over top of espresso letting the cinnamon and vanilla mix and evenly distribute throughout the latte.

Iced Tea anyone?  With Sweetbird’s Tea Concentrates making flavored ice tea is even easier.  By adding water and ice you can make flavored iced tea that everyone will enjoy like Iced Lemon Tea:

In a 16oz glass add 3 pumps Sweetbird Natural Iced Tea syrup

1 pumps Sweetbird Lemon syrup

10oz of water and top with 2oz. of ice.

Enjoy a refreshing and tangy beverage!

Sweetbird smoothies are totally fruity and fantastically refreshing like their Mango & Passionfruit Ice-Blended Smoothie:

 In a 16oz glass add 8oz. of Sweetbird’s Mango & Passionfruit smoothie mix

Add 4oz. of water and then fill to the top of the glass with ice.

Pour all contents of the glass into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour contents into a cup and enjoy.

***Helpful Hint: For different size cups measure all ingredients in the cup, keeping the ratio of smoothie mix to water the same for perfect portion control***

Enjoy Sweetbird today!!

Wednesday January 4, 2012 ~ New Year's Resolution

By Tia Peck

“A New Year's resolution is a commitment that a person makes to one or more lasting personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit.” ~Wikipedia

Recently I have discovered that the three most popular New Year’s Resolutions are to lose weight, save money, and to try something new. To achieve any of these goals can be difficult but it is a lot easier if you focus on the small-but-significant things in you daily routine.  Like starting every morning with a gourmet cup of joe and pastry from your local coffee shop, which is not only packed full of calories but can become very expensive as well. I personally cannot get through the day without a little caffeine, so instead of trying to cut out my morning café visit I just tweaked it a little.  

Here are five easy things you can do to still achieve your New Year’s resolution goal without give up your morning  brew:

1.)    If you just want to cut down on sugar but don’t want to give up the flavor Sweetbird provides a large selection of a vegan   approved syrup line.  Monin, DaVinci, and Torani also carry a wide range of sugar free syrups and sauces, so you can still have that flavored mocha without all the sugar and calories.

2.)   Trying to get back into shape?  Big Train has come out with a collection of Fit Frappes that are not only delicious but packed full of nutrition as well.  In just a 16oz. serving size this drink has at least 20g. of Protein, only 130 Calories, is Gluten free, contains 19 Vitamins and Minerals, less than 1g of Sugar , at least 5g of Fiber, 2.3g. of Fat, 10mg. of Caffeine and 24g. Carbs. This gourmet beverage will give you the boost you need to get through the day.

3.)    Starting at square one kick start your day with Umpqua Oats.  A fast and nutritious oatmeal that is great for breakfast or lunch.  Umpqua Oats uses the best natural ingredients with whole thick rolled oats for an “old fashioned” taste and sucanat sugar that adds a delicious caramel flavor.  With one easy step “just add hot water” and nine fantastic flavors Umpqua Oats makes a great healthy, delicious, and inexpensive meal.

 4.)    Fresh fruit is also a great way to start the day.  If you’re not a big breakfast eater but need a little something to go with your coffee then fresh fruit is the way to go.  A popular trend in many coffee shops is the option of fresh fruit as a healthier breakfast or snack choice.

 5.)    Another new arrival to coffee shops and an awesome snack choice to take on the go is Olomomo Nuts.  Olomomo roasted nuts are an energy, amino acid and protein-rich snack designed to taste great with coffee, tea, beer and wine. Olomomo Nut Company offers a variety of flavors that are made with organic ingredients, are vegan approved, gluten free, no added oils, and no artificial flavors.  This protein rich snack is a great choice for anyone on the go - athletes, travelers, busy moms and kids.